Venezuela Is About To Ditch The Dollar In Major Blow To US: Here’s Why It Matters

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that Venezuela will be looking to “free” itself from the U.S. dollar next week, Reuters reports. According to the outlet, Maduro will look to use the weakest of two official foreign exchange regimes (essentially the way Venezuela will manage its currency in relation to other currencies and the foreign exchange market), along with a basket of currencies.

According to Reuters, Maduro was referring to Venezuela’s current official exchange rate, known as DICOM, in which the dollar can be exchanged for 3,345 bolivars. At the strongest official rate, one dollar buys only 10 bolivars, which may be one of the reasons why Maduro wants to opt for some of the weaker exchange rates.

“Venezuela is going to implement a new system of international payments and will create a basket of currencies to free us from the dollar,” Maduro said in a multi-hour address to a new legislative “superbody.” He reportedly did not provide details of this new proposal.

Maduro hinted that the South American country would look to using the yuan instead, among other currencies.

“If they pursue us with the dollar, we’ll use the Russian ruble, the yuan, yen, the Indian rupee, the euro,” Maduro also said.

Venezuela sits on the world’s largest oil reserves but has been undergoing a major crisis, with millions of people going hungry inside the country which has been plagued with rampant, increasing inflation. In that context, the recently established economic blockade by the Trump administration only adds to the suffering of ordinary Venezuelans rather than helping their plight.

According to Reuters, a thousand dollars’ worth of local currency obtained when Maduro came to power in 2013 is now be worth little over one dollar.

A theory advanced in William R. Clark’s bookPetrodollar Warfare – and largely ignored by the mainstream media – essentially asserts that Washington-led interventions in the Middle East and beyond are fueled by the direct effect on the U.S. dollar that can result if oil-exporting countries opt to sell oil in alternative currencies. For example, in 2000, Iraq announced it would no longer use U.S. dollars to sell oil on the global market. It adopted the euro, instead.

By February 2003, the Guardian reported that Iraq had netted a “handsome profit” after making this policy change. Despite this, the U.S. invaded not long after and immediately switched the sale of oil back to the U.S. dollar.

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi was punished for a similar proposal to create a unified African currency backed by gold, which would be used to buy and sell African oil. Though it sounds like a ludicrous reason to overthrow a sovereign government and plunge the country into a humanitarian crisis, Hillary Clinton’s leaked emails confirmed this was the main reason Gaddafi was overthrown. The French were especially concerned by Gaddafi’s proposal and, unsurprisingly, became one of the war’s main contributors. (It was a French Rafaele jet that struck Gaddafi’s motorcade, ultimately leading to his death).

Now Venezuela may ultimately join the bandwagon, all the while cozying up to Russia, as well (unsurprisingly, Venezuela and Iran were identified in William R. Clark’s book as attracting particular geostrategic tensions with the United States). The CIA’s admission that it intends to interfere inside Venezuela to exact a change of government — combined with Trump’s recent threat of military intervention in Venezuela and Vice President Mike Pence’s warning that the U.S. will not “stand by” and watch Venezuela deteriorate — all start to make a lot more sense when viewed through this geopolitical lens.

What initially sounded like a conspiracy theory seems to be a more plausible reality as countries that begin dropping the U.S. dollar and opting for alternative currencies continuously — and without exception — end up targeted for regime change.

If the U.S. steps up its involvement in Venezuela, the reasons why should be clear to those who have been paying attention.

* * *

This moves comes just days after The BRICS Summit where Putin unveiled his “fair multipolar world,” which culminated, as Pepe Escobar explained, in the following

Meet the oil/yuan/gold triad

It’s when President Putin starts talking that the BRICS reveal their true bombshell. Geopolitically and geo-economically, Putin’s emphasis is on a “fair multipolar world”, and “against protectionism and new barriers in global trade.” The message is straight to the point.

The Syria game-changer – where Beijing silently but firmly supported Moscow – had to be evoked; “It was largely thanks to the efforts of Russia and other concerned countries that conditions have been created to improve the situation in Syria.”

On the Korean peninsula, it’s clear how RC think in unison; “The situation is balancing on the brink of a large-scale conflict.”

Putin’s judgment is as scathing as the – RC-proposed – possible solution is sound; “Putting pressure on Pyongyang to stop its nuclear missile program is misguided and futile. The region’s problems should only be settled through a direct dialogue of all the parties concerned without any preconditions.”

Putin’s – and Xi’s – concept of multilateral order is clearly visible in the wide-ranging Xiamen Declaration, which proposes an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace and national reconciliation process, “including the Moscow Format of consultations” and the “Heart of Asia-Istanbul process”.

That’s code for an all-Asian (and not Western) Afghan solution brokered by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by RC, and of which Afghanistan is an observer and future full member.

And then, Putin delivers the clincher;

“Russia shares the BRICS countries’ concerns over the unfairness of the global financial and economic architecture, which does not give due regard to the growing weight of the emerging economies. We are ready to work together with our partners to promote international financial regulation reforms and to overcome the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies.”

“To overcome the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies” is the politest way of stating what the BRICS have been discussing for years now; how to bypass the US dollar, as well as the petrodollar.

This means that Russia – as well as Iran, the other key node of Eurasia integration – may bypass US sanctions by trading energy in their own currencies, or in yuan.

Inbuilt in the move is a true Chinese win-win; the yuan will be fully convertible into gold on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges.

The new triad of oil, yuan and gold is actually a win-win-win. No problem at all if energy providers prefer to be paid in physical gold instead of yuan. The key message is the US dollar being bypassed.

RC – via the Russian Central Bank and the People’s Bank of China – have been developing ruble-yuan swaps for quite a while now.

Once that moves beyond the BRICS to aspiring “BRICS Plus” members and then all across the Global South, Washington’s reaction is bound to be nuclear (hopefully, not literally).

Washington’s strategic doctrine rules RC should not be allowed by any means to be preponderant along the Eurasian landmass. Yet what the BRICS have in store geo-economically does not concern only Eurasia – but the whole Global South.

Sections of the War Party in Washington bent on instrumentalizing India against China – or against RC – may be in for a rude awakening. As much as the BRICS may be currently facing varied waves of economic turmoil, the daring long-term road map, way beyond the Xiamen Declaration, is very much in place.

82 Comments on "Venezuela Is About To Ditch The Dollar In Major Blow To US: Here’s Why It Matters"

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 9:25 am

Add another country to the anti-dollar crowd. ^_^

Anonymous on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 10:42 am

Yawn, fucking yawn.

You people do realize that Vz is a country in hyperinflation and that NONE of their official exchange rates correspond to the market rate. Nobody (other than a few poor suckers in Vz) pays any official exchange rate.

With 20 trillion $s of debt and 180 military bases around the world, it’s time for the US to butt out, close the borders and prepare for the shortening long emergency. TPTB will not allow this until Gaia rips the empire from their cold stiff fingers. Hope she hurries.

onlooker on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 12:41 pm

Yes, Sissy, it is about time the US Empire disappear and Americans can be integrated into some sort of world community that sheds these fucking dead beat leaders and business people and unite in solidarity realizing we are all in the same boat together. A sinking boat I may add.

Go Speed Racer on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 1:07 pm

The US dollar is the global reserve currency
which means everybody trades in it. Then we print
more and more and more of it, which is
legalized counterfeiting
And like any counterfeiter then we get to leech
off everybody else in a parasitic lifestyle.

Basically at the international level, China produces
curved 65″ flat screens and cell phones. We mainly
produce fat people and potheads.

All the fat people and potheads in America then
spend their welfare checks on the flat screens and
cellphones getting them without working.

The Chinese in payment get bags of freshly printed
US dollars that cost us nothing to print.

The fat people and potheads then plug in the
flat screens and watch violent movies and
play Grand Theft Auto, never actually doing any work.

This is now “The American Way”.

Old Nick on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 2:49 pm

The end game is near, are any of you prepared yet?

Apneaman on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 3:03 pm

GSR, “All the fat people and potheads in America then
spend their welfare checks on the flat screens and
cellphones getting them without working.”

Really? How much do they get?

If the welfare is enough to pay for pot, flat screens and cell phones then sign me up.

No scratch that and give me one of those ginormous corporate welfare cheques instead with a couple juicy subsidies on the side. Just wire the money to my illegal off shore tax haven.

rockman on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 4:59 pm

So if a Texas refinery offers to send $1 million in US $’s in exchange for a barge full of its crap the Vz govt would reject the money???

Ghung on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 5:17 pm

GSR said: “All the fat people and potheads in America then spend their welfare checks on the flat screens and cellphones getting them without working.” …which is, of course, a lie. I know some very successful potheads and fat people. Indeed, I know a very well respected MD who has smoked pot since the 70s. But don’t let the truth get in the way of your silly, small-minded biases.

Vance Stephens on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 5:48 pm

Apparently Mad dog Maduro doesn’t know that the exchange rate on the Euro is higher than the U.S. Dollar.

The Chinese have little choice but to further reduce its value in order to shore up export earnings. Attempting to fuel internal growth by investing debt in real estate growth and state owned enterprises, is generating about $1 of growth for every $8 invested. Gold is a similarly dubious bet at present – all commodities are weak. Exactly what happens before a global depression…

onlooker on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 6:31 pm

Yep, China cannot ever be a world Petro reserve currency. It must remain a manufacturing export oriented country so it will not be massively recycling Yuans with importations of goods and services from other countries

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 6:44 pm

Lots of China deniers this AM. LOL

China does not want to be THE reserve currency. It just wants to be one of the reserve currencies that replaces the USD and it is doing that. The IMF is on China’s side these days. The US will soon go under and take the USD with it. End of the Empire.

The Chinese/Russian idea is to give countries another trade currency that is NOT controlled by the US. As it is currently set up, every country that trades has to pass thru the USD giving the US control and a piece of the action. A mafia setup that the world is tired of.

If Americans believe every bit of US propaganda about China, they are going to be blindsided soon. Americans never look at their own country with clear eyes and an open mind. I think subconsciously, they know that the party is over for them and they don’t want to face the changes coming. Or, maybe they are just spoiled brats who believe that the world is always going to be theirs to plunder? We shall see.

Davy on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 6:58 pm

China is screwed like everyone else and worse because of overpopulation and a building ecological disaster. People like maKAT can’t digest this reality because then his whole world view collapses with the truth. He is so concerned about the dollar that he fails to see how financially warped China is. The dollar is dying a slow death. No other currency will replace it or there would already be a blueprint for it. Globalism and the dollar are dying together. We shall see maKAT yet again eat crow like he has done now for 4 years. Pass the popcorn.

bobinget on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:12 pm

Facing hyper inflation, (Venezuela’s just went over 1,000%). Most nations simply throw in the towel and go to USD. See Panama, Ecuador, Zimbabwe.

Venezuela, to avoid civil war and failed state status. Needs to peg a new (hard) currency.

IMO, since China has adopted Venezuela as a major trading partner, look for Ven to adopt an entirely new “South American Yuan” China and Russia are in the final stages of financial colonization. China, now free to go after
‘capturing’ other oil producing nations. Columbia,
Ecuador, come to mind. The big kahuna, Brazil
will fall in before 2020. Just watch.

This just in:

Rosneft extended $1bn in additional credit to PDVSA this yr in form of prepayments for oil supplies, bringing total lending to $6.5b #OOTT
4:15 PM – 9 Sep 2017

Antius on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:15 pm

So far as I know, there is nothing stopping the Chinese or any other nation approaching a middle eastern supplier and purchasing oil using their own currency. All it really requires is an agreement over price.

China’s problem is the chronic under-value of its currency. This is set to continue in an attempt to improve exports. It makes it unappealing to suppliers who need to hold it in foreign exchange reserves. I doubt that it would be difficult to purchase oil in Euros or Yen.

bobinget on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:23 pm

Problems US needs to resolve ASP.

WE need to stop politicizing climate change.

We need to borrow at least a trillion USD’s
to repair infrastructure, hurricane damage in Texas and Florida.

We need to expose President Trump for what he is.
Slap him in juvenile detention.
Hold a new election in 2018 and get on w/ it.

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:28 pm

Antius, no, it not just price, it is the way the BIS is set up to use only US dollars. If any country tries to do it any other way, the US attacks. Ask Saddam or Gadhafi. Oops! You are too late. They tried it and lost. Russia and China can do it because they are too big for the US to invade and bully.

Basically, it says, if you want to trade, you have to use US dollars. If you want to buy oil, you have to buy US dollars to pay for it. And we take a cut of that cash transaction. (Mafias did it that way long ago.) If we don’t like you, we can cut you off from buying dollars and ending your trade. THAT is why the dollar must go. And soon.

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:33 pm

bobinget, there is not going to be any ‘change’. An ‘election’ will only put some other stooge in the seat. The real power in America is not in the elected seat warmers. It is in the M.I.C. and the other multi-nationals. Profit and financial power controls Fascist America, not the people. You are to be taken down to the level of the rest of the world. It is obvious, isn’t it? look around.

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:37 pm

Bobinget, you are correct. Russia and China are tying up all of the FF and mineral reserves around the world with money, while the US is trying to take it by force and losing.

Davy on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:39 pm

Please, do you have references or just conspiracies? maKAT, do you realize that there are other currencies that are used as reserve currencies. The dollar is not the only choice. The dollar place is slowly diminishing and will continue to. What do you expect would take its place? What about all those countries that trade with the US. You do realize the US is a major economy don’t you? Do you think they are not going to use dollars? I don’t think you know much at all about Forex. All you know is your agenda of US dollar bad and Chinese Yuan good. Binary bullshit at its finest. Do you realize there is also The Euro dollar? Do you realize that other countries can create dollars through dollar denominated debt? You are a friggen fruit loop. I know it is early there but why not go out to the pool and have a San Miguel. Chill out you are way too uptight.

onlooker on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:45 pm

Yes, Ant, Makati is describing pretty much how it works. Libya and Iraq are good examples. Saddam was our guy, we groomed him to lead Iraq and be a counter to Iran. All worked well until he invaded Kuwait and threatened to diversity its customer base. Ask yourself why the US keeps troops stationed around the world. It is purely intimidation. Countries who defy the Empire are punished in different ways. Sometimes, they are decapitated, other times strangled economically, other times invaded. Iran defies the US and thus is high on the enemy list of the US, the same with Venezuela. Look up the School of the Americas to see the dark underside of the Empire. I am not saying other countries are saints, but it is not anti-american to point out the egregious and numerous travesties of the US empire along with its allies in Europe.

Antius on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:49 pm

“Antius, no, it not just price, it is the way the BIS is set up to use only US dollars.”

If true, that is truly absurd. It is likely to push the value of the dollar too high, as other countries must dump exports into the US to get the dollars needed to trade. That’s all well and good for the US as an importer, but will slowly strangle US manufacturing industries. Come to think of it, they aren’t doing wonderfully well these days?

onlooker on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:50 pm

On the other hand, Davy is right we are all interconnected globally on a economic basis. Wishing the US to fail is wishing the entire global economic network to fail. But heck I get bored. The time of all these economic and geopolitical intrigues is coming to an end. Now Irma is reminding us in the US and in the entire planet that we are NOW ALL in a battle for survival and Mother Nature is going to show us what a bitch she is.

Boat on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:50 pm

If the world doesn’t like the US they sure like buying the 117 million metric tons of grain exports to over 100 countries. Corn is the biggest seller by far which is 90 percent gmo.
Once again reality trumps hysteria. Pass the popcorn.

onlooker on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:53 pm

Ant, you are basically talking about something that already happened. The elite leaders of the US basically have forsaken the masses of the US. Just like other govts have also not given a damn about its own people. We have a worldwide oligarchy or robber barons who basically do not care about the masses of this planet or it future.

onlooker on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 7:55 pm

Boat you are right, the US helps feed many many people. Another way that US collapse will be a problem for many people outside the US.

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 8:12 pm

Boat, You do realize that that 117MMT is equal to about 30# per person for the rest of the world? That is less than 10% of their annual use, and most of the corn goes to feed cattle? The world could get along just fine without it and will. US grain crops are already in trouble from CC and the over use of chemicals. That will only get worse. As the warm belt moves north, Canada and Russia are going to be the grain baskets of the world, not the US. And Russia, for sure, will not be GMO ‘franken’ crops. The world is turning away from GMOs.

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 8:15 pm

onlooker, you are obviously of the ‘indispensable’ mindset. The US is NOT indispensable, and the world will go on quite well after the US collapse’. The foundations for the new world are already put in place. You need to get out of the USMSM propaganda party and see the real world. It is NOT as the US ‘news’ portrays it.

Davy on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 8:19 pm

The US is the basis of the food chain like it or not. If the US stopped exporting grain the world would suffer gravely. Asia imports significant amount of grain from the US. Asia can’t feed itself now and his will only get worse as populations rise, overdevelopment, and water issues hit home.

Davy on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 8:22 pm

maKAT, I though onlooker was your friend. He is a lot more balanced than you are. Maybe if you would try not to be so extreme you might actually be listened to more. As it is you sound manic with pressured comments. Do you need medication? Are you drinking? You may need help.

Boat on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 8:29 pm

onlooker,

“We have a worldwide oligarchy or robber barons who basically do not care about the masses of this planet or it future”.

That’s true to a point. The global rule of law keeps getting better with 1st world countries making big strides since WWII.

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 9:58 pm

More signs of the insanity in Fascist America:

“China Warns Trump: “We Will Back North Korea If The US Strikes First””
“Paul Craig Roberts Rages At Americans “Laughing All The Way To Armageddon””
“Babies On Drugs In America? 1984 Predicted It!”
“”Worst Possible Choice For US Economy” – Peter Schiff Slams Plan To Repeal Debt-Ceiling”
“After The Storms Are Over: America Can’t Afford To Rebuild”
And on and on…

makati1 on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 10:01 pm

Davy, look in the mirror. I mention China and you go ballistic. I mention the crumbling Amerika and you go ballistic. What I say or do is none of your business if I do not mention your name. Look in a mirror Davy, if you own one. LMAO

The man has an 1891 7mm Mauser, bandolier, and sombrero all ready for him in his closet. If things go south, and they may, he wants to become a bandito.

Booby Bonds on Sat, 9th Sep 2017 11:29 pm

Sounds like Venezuela needs some Freedom!

kit Carson on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 2:11 am

There are so many things wrong with this article and its absurd assertions its pathetic. Talk about fake news….!

kit Carson on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 2:18 am

makati1, I wonder if you have been to China and Russia like I have? The fact is and it will be the same for a long time to come. The worst of America, is still better then the best of either China or Russia. Both China and Russia are corrupt beyond belief and have a zillion more problems then the States. The US is far from perfect, but I would take it any day over the others. Lastly, its not Americans trying to emigrate to China or Russia, its very much, the other way around. I think that says it all!

makati1 on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 2:36 am

I think you are full of shit, kit. American propaganda shit that is. Stay there and endure the gulag for what it is, a Fascist police state. A gulag in the making. Be patient.

BTW: WHEN did you visit those countries? As a tourist or…? Prove it.

Yes, I have been to China numerous times and just last year. Not to Russia, yet.

You are deluded (brainwashed) if you think the US is not totally corrupt and immoral. Just look around with an open mind. I doubt that you can do that if you are an American living in the land of propaganda and bullshit. As long as the bennies keep you happy, you will not see the widespread destruction and hundreds of thousands of murders your country is doing to the world all the time. So be it. Narrow mindedness is a rampant disease in Amerika along with immorality, debt, drugs, obesity and greed. The sooner it is brought to its knees the better for the rest of the world.

Davy on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 2:47 am

“Yes, I have been to China numerous times and just last year.”

You have been to Hong Kong, makat, to shop. Get real dumbass. You don’t know anything about China except what you read in your extremist literature.

Davy on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 2:50 am

Makat, you are my business and I will not stop until you stop your extremism. That is my promise. I will discredit your extremism every chance I get. You are paining a lie and it is an ugly lie. Many of your facts are correct but it is your vehicle that is a lie. It is a personal vendetta. You are describing my life as much worse than it is and you are promoting a life that is not any better. Until you get reasonable and balanced I will dog you until the end. You are a sick old man. If that sickness was directed somewhere else I would ignore you. When you call me fat, lazy and stupid I take offense. When you call my children uneducated I say screw you, you don’t know them. When you revel in American death and destruction from disasters I say bullshit. When you talk up an overpopulated little island with a GDP similar to my insignificant state I say forget it. You are a fake and a fraud and your BS agenda is directed towards me.

You are in my crosshairs. We have discussed this many times. All you have to do is moderate reasonably. Make your anti-Americanism useful and without the excessive emotions and hate. Treat Americans as people and their problems as problems of the rest of the world just on steroids. Yes the US Empire is in decay and decline and that is a good thing talk about that reasonably. Instead you are a belligerent anti-American fan club. If you will not moderate I will moderate your message and discredit you every chance I get. GOT THAT old man?

makati1 on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 3:22 am

Davy, your business is pure bullshit. I don’t give a damn what you consider “your” business. I will continue to point out the faults of America as long as I want to. And, they are many. New ones every day.

You are the blind one. Blind or ignorant of the country you are defending. It deserves what is coming ten fold.

You are the one who likes to make up lies about the life I, or others here, live. You cannot stand to be told you are wrong. That you are defending the evil country you live in by waving that blood soaked flag. Soaked in the blood of babies, children and innocent men and women who’s only crime is to not kiss the US ass. How many countries has your ‘indispensable’ country destroyed since 2001? 2? 3? 5? More?

Your beloved country is now using their ISIS minions to invade and try to take down the Ps because the new president told your president to go fuck himself in so many words. They will not succeed. The US has failed at everything they have tried since the 50s and Korea.

I don’t care what you do, Davy. You cannot touch me in mind, body or spirit and it is frustrating you. I suspect you will die of a heart attack long before I go. Your choice.

makati1 on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 3:24 am

Sorry, Davy, but I have been to China and it was not HK. You have no idea where I go or what I do or have done. Just futile putdowns and name calling. Get help.

Davy on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 3:39 am

Makat, I must be getting to you because you are just babbling. That is what I like you to do just get all hot and bothered with your BS. You are an extremist of hate that spreads a personal message of generalized revenge for anything American because of personal failures. You can tolerate no positive news. You want complete death and destruction. You want consequences for your failed life when it is your failure. You can’t spate the two. You need to ask yourself why you failed not blame it on 320MIL people. I am all for balanced anti-Americanism but not your personal extremist version. Moderate or you are in my crosshairs old man that is my promise.

makati1 on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 4:09 am

No, you are the babbler, Davy. You say nothing that matters. I do not hate. I just want the bad guys to pay for their bad deeds. If you are one of those… well.

I am just trying to offset the propaganda that spews out of the US these days. Pointing out it’s immorality, hypocrisy and lies. I will also do the same about anyone who also spews that same bullshit.

There is no “positive news” in the US. None. It is all propaganda made for people like you to guzzle by the gallon.

I have enjoyed a very full and happy life and will continue to do so for many many years. It only gets better and better. I am bragging because I want you to know that it is not anything like what you think/want it to be. Sorry, but I have a secure, free future. You do NOT.

BTW: “Old man” is not a putdown for me. I AM an old man and proud of it. I have lived a long life and will live a lot longer, until I am a “very old man”. And I am and will enjoy every second of it.

Davy on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 4:42 am

This is great makat. You were trying to ignore me earlier but I got under your scaly skin. No grehg to defend you. You are a sick old man. I would say get help but there is no help for someone your age. You are almost done anyway with no health care in a 3rd world country your days are numbered. If you ever do make it to your jungle fantasy farm malaria will likely get you or some other tropical disease. Not many very old people in the jungle except the really tough natives.

Antius on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 6:13 am

“That you are defending the evil country you live in by waving that blood soaked flag. Soaked in the blood of babies, children and innocent men and women who’s only crime is to not kiss the US ass. How many countries has your ‘indispensable’ country destroyed since 2001? 2? 3? 5? More?”

Makati, the US is the leader of a western commercial empire. Like the British before them, they walk the line between trying to maintain a peaceful world order and protecting their own interests. They are also a disorganised and chaotic country, with various internal lobby groups attempting to push often divergent interests. Individual personalities have tended to drive decisions that were not always popular amongst the US political establishment, i.e. Bush’s invasion of Iraq.

You look at the worst examples at what they have done (Serbia, Iraq, etc.) and conclude on that basis that they are evil oppressors intent on keeping the rest of the world down. It isn’t that simple. The truth is that US foreign policy is driven by a mixture of often conflicting interests, some of them benevolent (like maintaining freedom of speech and respecting human rights) some of them selfish – like the desire to keep oil prices low by forcing Iraq out of OPEC. The US is a powerful but clumsy and often confused and uncoordinated beast. But their actions over the past 70 years have generally been focused upon the preservation of stability and individual human rights. All things considered, do you really think the Chinese would have done any better?

makati1 on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 6:16 am

Davy, you are sick. Get some help before you lose it and do something stupid.

All you can rant about is my age. You will never see 70. You cannot stop fighting against anyone who disagrees with you. The stress will kill you. I have no stress. I have more freedom than you ever will. I raised my family and now am enjoying my retirement after almost 50 years of work. My resources are secure or at least as secure as possible in this world. And if lose my life to some unforeseen accident or event. It will not matter. I will never know it is over. There is no “after”. I have had 70+ good years. You should be so lucky.

makati1 on Sun, 10th Sep 2017 6:26 am

Ant, there has been ZERO good from America since WW2. Stability? Hahahaha! Peace? Hahahahaha.

Do you know how many countries they have invaded in those 70 years?
How many governments, some elected democracies, that they have overturned?
How many millions they have killed in the name of “peace”?
How you are being drained of your life blood to keep that killer government in place?
How much innocent blood is in that gallon of gas you bought?
How you have been/are still being brainwashed to do their will and defend their murders and plundering?

With the internet, there is no excuse for stupidity about the world outside the US MSM Iron Curtain. But, Americans are taught to not look. You are supposed to suck up their propaganda as they prepare you for the final war. Think about it. It is only when a country is turning away from kissing the American ass, that they are suddenly satin and child killers, etc. That is what the rest of the world will applaud when the US goes down. The US has no diplomats. It only has guns and a desire to rue the world over YOUR dead body, and that of your family, if necessary.